


Fight For Them

by Riniginianna



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon, Gen, Langst, Season 8, fight, his team loves him, lance verses honerva, red paladin lance, she's tecnically not haggar anymore, slight langst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-03 23:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16335545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riniginianna/pseuds/Riniginianna
Summary: When the paladins of Voltron are down for the count. Lance must find his own inner strength to protect the ones he loves.





	Fight For Them

**Author's Note:**

> This is a "little" story I made to go along with the art created by Eyuki. (Ill try to find a way to add the image) 
> 
> Note- this is after season 7, pretty much end of season 8ish. Allura is there, just out of frame. And though Shiro is also there, he isn't a paladin. I thought this story would fit better at the end of the series.

_"How does it feel to be alone?...."_ Honerva taunted as she slowly circled the area where five paladins lay unconscious, barely clinging to life; the ground around them on the asteroid's otherwise whole surface shattered and broken. While the cosmos surrounding the space rock was breathtaking-ribbons of sapphire and emeralds spinning across the sky-the two conscious forms only had eyes for each other. _"You know there's no help coming, there's no one to save you now child...."_

The sixth paladin of Voltron bit his lip, standing his ground as he held a blaster out with his good arm, ocean eyes never leaving the witch's face as she stalked him. His knees were close to buckling, and his right arm was dislocated. He knew he couldn't hit the monster, she was too fast, but he glared all the same. 

Met with silence, Honerva chuckled softly, knowing she had already won. The sound made Lance's stance waver and his eyes slowly fell to where his friends lay. 

The moment had gone by so fast. The marksman had been in his position, right behind the rest of his team to let them engage close combat; the next he had been slammed into the ground as Hunk's body flew back into him. The weight of the larger male had knocked Lance's shoulder out of socket, but it had also saved him from the blast of raw destructive power directed towards the group. 

However, the red paladin also knew the force of using such powerful magic had taken a toll on the witch. She had stared daggers at him as he slowly got to his feet-injured, but standing all the same; but she had made no move to attack him. He would already be dead if she had. So, the two were locked in a stalemate. Honerva pacing in circles around the injured paladin as she regained her quintessence fuelled energy. 

Lance's tactful mind was spinning frantically as his eyes returned to that haggard face, formulating a plan. She was right, he was alone, without his team, and he couldn't fight; but he wasn't out of tricks just yet. 

"Spare them." Lance finally replied, his voice hoarce but unwavering. It wasn't a plea, it was a demand. "Take me, but let them live. You know we can't form Voltron without all five of us, they need me..."

 _"You're not in a position to make requests, Paladin....."_ the witch answered curtly, but her face became thoughtful, contemplating. For a moment the witch's gaze took in the sight of the limp bodies littering the floor, then she started laughing once more. _"But you're nothing more than the spare, aren't you?..."_

The twisted altean purred in amusement at the shadow of shock and pain that crossed the paladin's face. Then he set his face like flint and growled. "I'm not a spare. I'm not a replacement. You're just trying to get under my skin." 

Honerva chuckled once more, knowing she had hit a sore spot. _"It sounds like you're trying to convince_ yourself _boy...."_

Lance growled again, raising his Bayard higher with his finger hovering over the trigger. The witch tilted her head and smiled cruelly. _"you know that's true don't you? You're not-"_

The gun went off and Hoverva instantly disappeared, the shot flying out into space. Then the red paladin suddenly felt a strong hand, with nails as sharp as claws, clamp onto his bad shoulder from behind and shove him to his knees. 

Lance cried out in surprise and pain, his Bayard dropping from his hand and Honerva kicking it out of reach. He hissed in agony as his wounded arm slammed into the stone to keep himself from smashing his face and then grunted as the witch put her full weight on his back, keeping him still. 

_"You are worthless to them, aren't you?"_ Honerva whispered in the paladin's ear, and Lance could practically hear her smirk. _"Pushed to the side, left alone, forgotten..."_ Lance slowly realized what this was. She was _toying_ with him. He didn't answer the taunts this time, reluctantly, instead he closed his eyes and tried to calm himself and ignore the witch. 

Lance let his memories drown out Honerva's words, along with his own thoughts of doubt. He let the gentle words of encouragement from his team, his friends, wash over his mind and he slowly began to relax, despite the toxic murmurings in his ears. 

_"You only shoot because they don't need you on the front lines...."_ Honerva hissed softly, trailing the cut on the red paladin's upper arm. Lance bit his lip with a wince and blocked her out. 

_**"Nice, Lance! That's why we bring our sharpshooter....."** _

Shiro. His fearless leader and hero, currently laying on his back and facing the stars, barely breathing, just because he didn't want the paladins to go on this mission without him. He knew Lance was an excellent shot, no one else could shoot like he could. Many a time Lance had saved lives with his precision. Shiro knew how essential that was.

 _"They shut you down whenever you try to speak your mind..."_ Lance stifled a whimper at that, not wanting to give the monster the satisfaction. He received that treatment many times. But then...

_**"Oh, good one, Lance!...."** _

Hunk. The one who had inadvertently saved him just a few moments ago. He was always there for support, to listen. When Lance and Keith would bicker, and Pidge would tease, the yellow paladin was always at his best friend's side. Hunk had never left him excluded. 

_"I know it hurts....They just use you, they don't actually care about /you/, just what you can do...."_

_**"We had a bonding moment. I cradled you in my arms!....."** _

Keith. Oh god Keith..... He had taken the brunt of the impact, being closest to Honerva. The Black paladin was sprawled face down on the rocky ground, still as death. Though he and Lance had their differences, Keith, of all people, cherished their moments together the most. The two of them really were a good team, in battle and in friendship. 

_"They have never truly understood you....Though they would try to say otherwise right?..."_

_**"While you're doing that, I'm gonna hook up the video game Lance and I bought....."** _

Pidge. Katie. Laying on her back with her arm bent beside her head. She was like his little sister, she knew how his mind worked. When he hadn't been able to sleep, she had given him her music to help him rest during those first few terrifying nights in space. She always understood how he thought...

_"They don't know how great you can be.... they never recognized your true potential..."_

_**"I think your Bayard has shown you what we've all been noticing. You have greatness within......"** _

Allura. The princess of Altea. The one Lance had admired for so long, laying heavily on her side away from him. She /knew/ what he was capable of, she had praised him for it. She was there for him, they all were. 

In that moment Lance realised that he had been looking at his team wrong this whole time, suddenly Honerva's lies were easy to disregard. They didn't bother him any longer. With his eyes still closed, the red paladin let a small smile tug on his lips. He reached out with his mind and then felt it, something /was/ coming for him. 

Honerva was laughing softly, relishing in what she thought was his defeat as she felt the boy cease fighting. Her energy returning, she lifted one hand to create a small ball of electricity in her palm, the static causing the hair on the back of the paladin's neck to stand and quiver....Then her world exploded as a thundering boom resounded behind her and a giant metal paw knocked her off Lance. She let out a cry of pain as the lion's swipe sent her flying and skidding across the ground, stunned. 

Lance groaned in pain as he slowly stumbled to his feet, gazing up at the Red Lion that he had come to adore. "Thanks buddy..." He murmured with a grateful smile, then after a moment he glanced at his wounded shoulder and winced. He grabbed the joint with his good hand and _jerked_ , crying out in agony and screwing his eyes shut as pain flared up like fire, his arm falling back into place. 

He stood there gasping, shaking, but instead of his mind being dulled by pain, it was sharp, his senses heightened. The feeling grounded him, reminding him of why he was here, who he was fighting for. 

As his breath evened out, Lance opened his eyes and slowly bent down to gingerly pick up his Bayard. Instead of forming the normal blaster, or even the long ranged sniper, the handhold elongated and morphed into a ruby red Altean Broadsword, paralleling the mighty red Paladin whose footsteps Lance had followed in. 

Lance gripped the blade tightly in his now usable hand, ignoring the spikes of discomfort that shot up his arm. Then he turned away from the lion and his team, stalking towards the witch's stunned form. 

"I may not be the Leader." The paladin murmured, glaring at Honerva with detest. The physical embodiment of his trials and doubts. The blue and green ribbons of light in the sky lit up his determined face, the caramel skin scratched and burned by the battle.

"I may not be the one that can lead an army into a fight. But I know my place. This is where I belong, My friends know me, they love me. And I'm not about to let you take them..." As he spoke he crept closer, Honvera raising her head to glare back at him. Then with a cry of finality, Lance lashed out with the blade. 

The witch rolled out of the way, just far enough to miss being sliced in half. She jumped to her feet and shot a bolt of lighting at the red paladin. Lance dropped into a crouch, grimacing at the feeling of electricity buzzing just inches over his head. He dashed forward, swiping again but the witch dematerialized, causing him to stumble on his unsteady legs and hit the dirt. 

He rolled over just as Honerva reappeared to strike him again, her body looming over his. But as he turned, Lance's bayard quickly morphed into his blaster, firing at the last second. 

The laser flew straight up and slammed into the woman's left shoulder, Honerva shrieking in pain. She stumbled back a step and Lance jumped up, firing again.

Honerva had the mind to dodge, the second, and then third shots missing. Furious now, her golden eyes narrowed in resentment and she fired her power at him once, then twice.

The red paladin managed to dodge the first blast, but the second just grazed his chest plate, charring the armor and singing his skin. Lance gasped in pain, but he didn't let it stop him.

The red Bayard stretched back into its broadsword form, and Lance rushed at Honerva once more. The blade whipped by the witch's neck, then she jerked up with her hand and a large jagged point of rock shot out from the ground. 

Lance jumped back, then launched himself over the barrier. The sharp end of the rock sliced through his glove into his left hand, but he ignored it, slamming down with the sword once more.

Honerva dodged again, impossibly fast, then latched onto Lance's wrist in an attempt to still the blade. The paladin slammed his foot on the witch's and wretched his hand back, dropping to the floor as his weak legs tingled from the force. He heard Honerva screech in frustration then he rolled away, just as a bolt of lighting forcefully struck where he had just been laying, a small stream of smoke rising from the burned rock. 

Lance found cover behind the summoned rock just as Honerva screamed, another bolt of lighting slamming into the makeshift shield.

_"Why won't you just DIE you little brat?!"_

Lance smirked a bit, despite himself. He felt satisfaction in making the Altean lose her cool. His Bayard switched into the blaster once more and he quickly fired at Honerva from behind his cover.

The witch dematerialized again, but Lance was ready. He knew this trick now. Right after he pulled the trigger, he switch back to the Altean broadsword and thrust upwards... just as Honerva's chest appeared. 

Time stopped. The two frozen in their positions, Lance, crouching with his back against the rock. And Honerva, hands raised and ready to fire, with a blade between her ribcage. The witch's eyes were wide in shock, too stunned to fire back. Then slowly, the light faded from her golden irises and her knees buckled. Honerva's body hit the dirt and Lance slowly retracted his blade from her chest, his hands trembling uncontrollably as the adrenaline wore off. 

He had done it. He couldn't believe it. Lance had just single handedly defeated the most terrorizing villain in the universe. The war was finally over. But... He didn't feel triumphant, or even _happy_ ; he was simply relieved it all had ended. 

Lance slowly slumped against the rock, eyes closing as he let air fill his lungs, his Bayard disappearing. He was tired, his body heavy. A part of him didn't really care if he just curled up and died right there; as long as his loved ones were safe. 

He rested for a few minutes, trying to work life back into his heavy limbs and letting his heart rate drop to a reasonable level. Then he slowly took inventory of his wounds. His shoulder ached like hell, the gashes on his arm and hand were bleeding, and the surface of his chest felt like it was on fire. And that was before all the miniscule, bruises, cuts and scraps covering his face and body. But Lance didn't mind for the most part, he would live; that's all that mattered at the moment. 

With a wince and a soft groan, the red paladin pushed himself to his feet, getting his bearings. Honerva still lay on the ground, unmoving as the celestial lights reflected in her wide, glassy eyes. Lance looked away, she wasn't going to get back up. 

Lance slowly trekked back to where his friends were laying. Most of them haven't moved, but Shiro seemed to be stirring, it seemed nothing could keep that man down for long. Lance noticed the movement and he quickly stumbled over to his former leader, helping him sit up as the older male came to. 

"Ehhhhhh.....What..... What happened?..." Shiro murmured blearily, completely disoriented. His vision slowly cleared and he gazed at Lance, then the red lion, before seeing his wrecked armor and injuries. "L-Lance...... You're hurt.... where's-"

"It's over." The red paladin answered quickly before Shiro could finish. "It's okay. She's dead...." he ignored the comment about his own welfare, continuing: "are you okay? Can you walk?...." 

The former black paladin nodded slowly, grimacing with a hand flying to his temple. "Y-yeah.. I'm okay...." He replied, voice trembling a bit still. Lance nodded in acknowledgement before going around and checking the others, Keith still didn't look good, but the others just looked unconscious now, 

Once he was satisfied he team wasn't about to die on him (for the most part), Lance hurried into his lion to send out a message. Coran was waiting with the Atlas on a nearby planet, the poor old man would probably feel guilty for not being able to know something went wrong. He had been waiting for the signal. 

They needed a cryopod for Keith immediately, and probably every other kind of medical attention for the rest of them. And it wasn't until the screen went dark again did lance finally collapse in his chair, exhausted.

He hadn't known he was even capable of doing what he just did, but then again... the others had already seen it in him. He had finally seen the greatness that resided within himself. 

As he laid there, staring up at the ceiling of the cockpit, the red paladin allowed himself to laugh softly for a moment, before sleep captured him in it's sweet embrace, finally at peace.


End file.
